his may be a year in which you find it harder to make money but easier to spend it. But that shouldn't be a big problem because, more than likely, you got an above-average salary increase on the last go-around. Sound confusing? Stick with me, and I'll explain.

In this week's cover story, we take our annual look at salary trends among IT professionals. More than 19,000 people participated in our Web-based survey, making it one of the biggest of its kind. The good news is that the median pay for IT staff positions jumped a healthy 8.5% in the last year, while for IT managers it climbed an even more impressive 10%. You're familiar with the reasons: With demand outstripping supply, IT professionals have been able to move from job to job, making more money along the way--or get compensated nicely for staying put. As our story "Salary Strongholds" by senior writer Marianne Kolbasuk McGee shows, certain skill sets command higher wages, with application integration and ERP at the top of the order.

The take on these salaries is kind of like looking in the rearview mirror; it's a reflection of what's already past. The outlook ahead is less clear, but we can be pretty sure the economic pressure that's causing many companies to scrutinize budgets will be reflected in salary reviews. Hilton Hotels, for example, is already taking a more conservative approach in doling out raises, CIO Tim Harvey says.

There are a lot of ways to slice and dice the data. You'll find charts on median salaries for IT staffers and managers, compensation by area of expertise, and comparisons by industry and geography. Columnist Richard Florida tackles the subject from yet another angle: quality of life on the job. You can benchmark your salary to see just how much better or worse you're doing than peers by using our online IT Salary Adviser at informationweek.com/itsalaryadviser.

That explains what I meant in saying that it will be harder to make money this year, but that it shouldn't be much of a problem. To understand my point about it being easier to spend money, take a look at our lead news story, "Taking Tech To Lunch." As senior editor Cheryl Rosen reports, new payment technologies are being tested as a way to make a trip to the food counter more convenient. Earlier this year, Rosen reported on Amazon.com's initiative to support online micropayments (see "When Every Dollar Counts," Feb. 12, 2001).

Are your prospects for making money keeping pace with the new technologies that make it possible to spend it faster and more conveniently? Let me know what you think.

John Foley
Editor/Print
jfoley@cmp.com

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